


House of Annika

by CherriesOnTheCake



Category: Ishqbaaz (Indian TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fashion, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-19 07:41:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18132878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherriesOnTheCake/pseuds/CherriesOnTheCake
Summary: Annika is a world famous fashion designer and she has been hired for the wedding of the great Shivaay Singh Oberoi.





	House of Annika

 

**Present Day**

“Can I tell you a secret?” 

Annika adjusts the silver dupatta carefully around Shivaay’s shoulders as he sits sprawls on a red satin couch like a fucking prince. She receives a gruff ‘hmm’ but otherwise he doesn’t acknowledge her. He’s not even looking at her, his _kanji_ eyes are focussed like lasers on the door through which Tia’s mom left after throwing a pair of insoles at him.  “I really fucking like your height. If you were marrying me...”

 

All of a sudden his eyes snap up to hers. The weight of his blue irises feels as heavy against her chest as his body does in the afterglow after sex, stealing her breath (and words) away all at once. This isn’t anywhere close to the first time she has looked into his eyes and become speechless but for once he doesn’t push her to talk anyway. 

 

Instead he pulls her down hard onto his lap, his permanently cold hands possessive on her bare back, and leans in for a kiss only to stop at the last minute with a glare to her mouth. Annika smirks and wiggles her eyebrows daring him to kiss her despite the bright red lipstick she’s wearing. 

 

“First of all it’s no secret that you like my height. The whole world and it’s mother can see how hot you get every time I have to look up at you.” A pale hand reaches down to grab the heel of her shoe — stilettos in his favourite shade of cherry red even if they don’t match the rest of her outfit, and almost six inches high. “That’s why you’re driving me crazy by wearing these fucking things even when I begged you not to.”

 

“Explain that to me again Shivaay.” She smirks. “How am I the one who’s hot for you when you’re the one who ruined his pants just at the sight of me?” 

 

“It was an accident,” he says haughtily, “that you clearly planned for considering you brought a spare suit.”

 

“I am a designer, sweetheart.” She strokes her knuckles across his cheek. “Being prepared comes part of the territory.”

 

“Secondly,” he pulls her astride his lap so she has no choice but to grab his shoulders to keep her balance, “there isn’t any conceivable situation where I would ever marry you instead. Tia has all the qualities I need in my wife while you...” He takes a deep breath, tears filling his eyes. “You...”

 

“Don’t,” Annika begs softly unable to hear yet another laundary list of reasons why she isn’t suitable for the great Shivaay Singh Oberoi. “Not today.”

 

“You are my mistress and you always will be. It would be better for both of us if you didn’t raise your hopes higher than that.”

 

There was a time not too long ago when she might have taken Shivaay’s rejection like others would take a bullet to the heart. If it were not for the life experiences she gained while building her business empire, of seeing the shades of grey that chip away at a person’s hopes and dreams the richer they get, of getting rejected over and over again because she didn’t have a family name Annika might even have blamed Shivaay for not working harder to be with her.

 

Instead she leans forward to rest her forehead against his, smiling when he instinctively pushes himself closer like he always does. 

 

“I know but if there were a situation where you could marry me instead, I would make you realise how special you are. Not just during the ceremony but afterwards too. I would spend every day of my life caring about you so much and so hard that maybe one day...”

 

“Maybe one day?” He sounds tortured like his words are coming out against his will from some deep, hidden, part of his soul. Annika smiles reluctantly as she cups his cheek.

 

“...Maybe one day I could convice you to love yourself as much as I love you.” She takes a deep breath. 

 

“You will do that any way.” It is at once a command, a plea, and an acknowledgement of something he already knows. 

 

A smile twists Annika’s mouth; she can’t believe she ever thought this man was difficult to read. He’s the most straightforward person she has ever met and will try to keep him in her life for as long as possible. No matter what it takes, no matter how many hopes and dreams she has to crush to be able to do it.

 

“Hmm.” She runs her hands down the front of the white velvet of his sherwani. It suits him as well as all of her designs but she still prefers the brown one he had on earlier. The one she spent countless sleepless nights getting just right for him just because his eyes grew soft the first time he saw it. The one he ruined after just a single glance at her. “You said before that Tia would understand. If that’s still the case...”

 

“It is.” He clutches her even tighter before letting go briefly to grab his phone. Annika watches with a lump in her throat as he frantically checks his schedule. “I...” He clears his throat. “I will be free the day tomorrow and every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday after that. Does that work for you?”

 

“We can’t spend every weekend together.”

 

“Of course we can. We will. I already arranged it with Tia.” His hands start to tremble so she covers them firmly with hers. “She has her partner and I...I have you. We agreed legally to live seperate lives after the wedding. If you can’t...” he gulps. “If you can’t make the days work I’ll change them.”

 

“I’ll make them work.” Annika gently strokes back his hair and unable to help herself carefully kisses him over his beard to avoid leaving a lipstick print. It’s all for naught when Shivaay turns violently into it, seizing her mouth so thoroughly she can’t tell where she ends and he begins.

 

-/-

 


End file.
